Tuesday morning started like any other — a quick drive to take my daughter to work. Nothing out of the ordinary. But within seconds, everything shifted.
An oncoming driver pulled out of a long parking lot and shot directly into the left lane of a two-lane roadway — my lane — like they were the only one on the road. The right lane was still packed with heavy snow, the left only partially cleared. I hit the brakes hard. To be honest, I still don’t know how we didn’t collide.
Instead of impact, the Volvo was pulled into the snow-filled right lane and straight into the curb.
The result: a completely destroyed front passenger-side rim and tire. Somehow — against all logic — the tire stayed inflated long enough for me to limp the car back to the apartment a few kilometers away. When I looked closer later, there were clear signs the internal belts were damaged. That tire was done.
In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing compared to dealing with a full-blown collision. No one was hurt. The car still moves under its own power. And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.
But the reality is still a hard one.
This repair is going to set me back around $1,200:
- New wheel bearing
- New rim
- New tire(s)
And of course, the exact tire size and brand I’m running is sold out locally. On an AWD vehicle, mismatched tires aren’t ideal — mechanically or for peace of mind. So now I’m stuck waiting, juggling options, and stretching a budget that was already tight.
The steering wheel now sits about a quarter turn off-center, which has me hoping the damage stops at the wheel and bearing. Best case scenario: the rim and tire absorbed the worst of it. Worst case: there’s hidden damage to the control arm, ball joint, or steering components. The fact I didn’t climb up onto the curb gives me some hope — but for now, it’s a fingers-crossed situation.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
But neither are most of the moments that test us.
For now, plans slow down. Builds pause. Travel gets delayed. And once again, adaptability becomes the real skill that matters most.
More updates soon — and as always, thank you for being here through the good days and the curveballs.
Moments like this are a harsh reminder of just how quickly things can change. One second you’re moving through your normal routine, the next you’re dealing with damage, delays, and decisions you never planned for. It’s easy to see setbacks as roadblocks — but more often than not, they’re just detours asking us to slow down, reassess, and adapt. This journey has never been about perfect plans or smooth roads. It’s always been about resilience, improvisation, and continuing forward even when the timeline shifts. The road is still out there. So am I. And when the Volvo is ready again, so is the next chapter.
